Angeleanna Maxwell

[Sister Angeleanna]

THE HANDLER

NAME: Angeleanna Fairbanks is the name on her birth certificate but after becoming a nun, she dropped her surname to become simply Sister Angeleanna. When on assignments and missions, she has adopted the surname Maxwell in honor of the late Father Maxwell.
NICKNAME: Angel, though usually addressed with her Sister title
CLASSIFICATION: Angel
GENDER: Female
AGE & BIRTHDAY: 39 years & May 16th
APPERANCE: Angel stands much taller then the average woman at a smidge over 6 feet, barefoot. Weighing in at a little over 190 lbs, she is no little thing. With a medium build, Angel has broad shoulders and a muscular build of someone who has worked their entire life. She has a thick middle, not quite as firm as her younger companions but she is still the ever hearty individual. Naturally fair skinned, she has a tendency to burn rather than tan and the longer she’s out in the sun the more prominent the freckles become across her nose. Angel’s skin is free of tattoos and piercings. Small nearly undefined cheekbones, full lips and a rounded nose give her face a softer edge to an otherwise sturdy frame. She has a motherly look about her, she has never been pretty her entire life but the warmth of her soul translate to the gentleness of her features.

Her hair is the color bleached straw as if the sun has simply bleed away all the color. Outside of the normal brushing and shampoo, there is very little Angeleanna does to it. Should anyone ever get the chance to see it, her hair has been cropped short in a boy’s cut as if by a unskilled hands. The strands seem to have a mind of their own, growing at an extremely fast pace, she cuts her own hair at least once a month to keep the tendrils maintained under the white cowl. Her eyebrows are thick and busy, neglected by a person unaccustomed to fashion. They frame large expressive eyes that would better suit a young girl. A striking color, if only for the unnatural bright blue hue of them against her fair skin. The color of the bluest ocean, flecks of aqua and gold that shade darker around the iris. Her left eye has an odd patch of darker blue almost black along the outer left side of the iris from trauma received in her youth. Though fully healed, the color has yet to return to normal.

Beneath her clothing are a multitude of scars, most little and insignificant from the faded scrapes on her knees from falling as a child to the gouge on her chin from being tossed by a dragon in her twenties. The most prominent and painful looking are the deep and angry jagged scars that run the length of her shoulder blades in a vague shape of a V. Time has humbled the good sister’s youthfulness with careworn lines that creases the edge of her eyes and mouth when she smiles and talks. Her hands are large, calloused and worn from decades of use, her right pinky doesn’t bend completely from being broken several times. Angeleanna’s walk has a slight swagger to it due to a injury to her right knee as a child, nevertheless that doesn’t stop her strong posture or light step.
ATTIRE: On a day to day basis she dons the normal black and white habit that is most seen on traditional Roman Catholic nuns. It is a choice of style she has made, forgoing comfort for tradition. She wears her wooden rosary, ring, cross and stockings with the oddity of shin high black leather boots, nearly hidden by the hem of her habit. When on duty, Angel loses the scapular (cloth of material suspended front and back by the shoulders) and adds to her ensemble the BPRD utility belt that houses an assortment of good luck charms, relics, gum, small flashlights and other assorted goodies. Brown leather gloves that fall mid forearm and sometimes she will wear a deep grey trench coat that falls knee high to hide her clothing underneath. In the off chance you ever catch Angel out of her religious habit, she opts for simplicity over style. At night in her room it’s her favorite and only set of grey sweatpants, tank top and an old stretched out blue sweatshirt if it’s cold. Other then her rosary and cross, Angel wears no form of jewelry or makeup.
PLAYBY: Frances McDormand

THE CREATION

NAME: Sister
POWER LIST: Enhanced strength & accelerated healing factor
DETAILED POWER: A gift from her angelic blood, Angeleanna has been blessed with strength no mere mortal could posses. She is known for having a strong firm handshake and just as firm walk as if rooted to the ground. Without knowing the nun, it’s surprising to see her swing her sword with enough force to shudder at. At any given moment, it’s nothing to pick a full grown and large man up and swing them over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She has no qualms that in a pinch she could lift upwards of 800 lbs, doing so several times in her youth. Her strength lends her a sense of durability, allowing her to take a harder punch then most. She has also been able to fall off a one story building rooftop, landing in a dumpster though, with nothing more than cuts and bruises. Don’t be mistaken, she is far from immortal and feels each and every bruise, cut and break. She has limitations though, her body is mortal and can only take so much. Pushing past what she can handle physically has resulted in the tearing of muscles and ligaments and several broken bones. What one might consider a sense of clumsiness, Angel does in fact forget her own strength and has broken many small things in her past.

Angeleanna retains an accelerated healing factor that mends damaged cells within her body but does not actually regenerate them to perfection as by the telltale scars that decorate her body. Normal injuries heal relatively fast, but again can take anywhere from hours (a finger) to weeks (an arm or leg) depending on how grave the wound is. Angel has timed a paper cut that was healed within an hour but she doesn’t have any real timeline to keep to. Her healing ability does not extend to regenerating lost limbs and still relies heavily on modern medicine to keep her well as she is still susceptible to the common colds and various bugs a normal person is. The only stipulation is she knows she gets over a bug slightly faster than other people. Despite popular folklore, her blood cannot heal anyone. Though if shed on holy ground, flora have been known to grow rapidly from that place.

THE POTENTIONAL

ALIGNMENT/OCCUPATION: Fighting for the side of good, attached to the BPRD as a liaison field agent while maintaining faithfulness to the Order of Divine Mercy and Grace.
WEAPONS: Her weapon of choice is a 11th century inspired crusader sword. It is a step back to medieval times where wars were fought and won with bladed weapons. Today, it stands out of place in the human world but aided her on many assignments and missions, it’s become dear to her heart. The blade stands at 28 inches with a leather wrapped handle and brass pommel with a cross insignia. Silver has been inlaid along the steel and blessed by several priests, making it a holy relic untouchable to many creatures of evil, reactions range from slight discomfort to burning. Kept in a sheath made of mahogany wood covered in black leather it resides at her waist. When not in use it’s set aside in a simple nondescript wooden box, that looks like it might carry an instrument with a iron handle and lock; though it has no key, for easy transportation.
PERSONALITY: Tough, loyal and caring, the epitome that is Angeleanna. As woman of God, Angel has a big heart and encompasses those around her, friend and stranger alike. It’s in her nature to keep an eye out on those around her, acting as a surrogate maternal role that ranges from kind words of encouragement to a full out rib crushing bear hug. She describes it as a rescuing drive that results in swift immediate actions taken upon a transgressor be it nagging or a good smack to the head. Angel doesn’t put up with any guff nor is she afraid to use her age and bulk to get matters taken care of. She doesn’t deem herself a pacifist as she’s been known to tug an ear or two to get her point across.

Angel is not one for laughing quietly, her deep voice echoes solidly and she considered herself a optimist. The world is already full of naysayer and she doesn’t need to add to the masses. With a simple sense of humor, it doesn’t take much to get the woman laughing. It goes for pretty much everything else. When Angel’s mad, everyone knows. Not one to cowl her emotions, the nun is upfront about her feelings despite her rebuttal of having a temper. She has a personal habit of counting the beads on her rosary when stressed, it’s more a soothing gesture and a telltale sign of her agitation. Angeleanna has dealt with abandonment issues stemming from her childhood and has been able to work through them, today an inkling of it is her struggle to leave someone behind. Be it going to across a building or on a assignment. She has no problem leaving a room after a meeting or splitting up, but rather when an individual is down she hovers and can become annoying after awhile. In spite of this, her troubled past has strengthened her and given her the wisdom and insight to forge a strong path to lead her life on.

Angel falls into a leadership role quite easily, she has the smarts for it and the tenacity to keep it up. She thrives on the chaos of the world, finding routine lifestyles tedious and stifling. The solid force amidst the disorder is her place in life, she is not one to given into temptations easily. Her friends are very important to her, she holds them closely and puts her utmost trust in them. Angeleanna remains warm with strangers and is a hospitable person, going out of her way to make others comfortable. She is most at ease with something to do and keeps busy on and off duty be it random chores, assignment detail to working with the local churches. A love for debating, a friendly argument, she is not bothered by other people’s opinion on her lifestyle as she made the choice for herself. Angel has abstained from marriage and given a vow of chastity and if she was ever given the chance to choose, the woman would remain asexual as she has never had a desire for it. Despite her age, lewd behavior and acts of violence both shock and repulse her.

A hesitancy towards actual fighting, she knows the damage she can inflict and if violence can be avoided she will do so rather then bare a weapon. It is not in her nature to hate, hate is a strong word and she didn’t grow up with the word in her vocabulary. Everyone, no matter who they are or what they’ve done, can be saved. However the heart of a warrior still burns strong within her and this comes out in the battlefield, giving her the reputation of a fierce individual. She will protect and defend with her life as she has given an oath to God and will uphold it till the day she dies. Her beliefs of the Catholic faith and her job ride on a fine line, she is well grounded in her faith but her duties as a soldier conflict against what the world believes. She has killed enemies in the line of duty, though only a few. In the past she questioned herself and if killing creatures was really the way to go but she has come to the conclusion there is no right answer. Even in righteousness the wicked remain.

With the not so typical job her hobbies are few and far though she has taken up crocheting and jigsaw puzzles. She donates blankets and clothing deemed wear worthy to local charity shops (Thrift stores) or makes them for friends. The simple repetitive motion is a easy way to wind down while puzzles keep her from being bored. She volunteers what little free time she has outside of the Bureau towards soup kitchens and churches. She dislikes violence, despite her status she would rather work a pacifist route then actual hacking and slicing paladin that many reflect her to be. She disapproved when people feel the need to tug on her veil to garner attention or see if it’s actually attached to her head. It is with strategically placed bobby pins. The taste and smell of vanilla, she’s never had a taste for it and too much of the smell in a candle or incense makes her woozy and gives her a headache. Angel fears for the safety of others, human and non, is the utmost importance to Angel and she dreads when anyone is put in harms way. Though Angel is aware she’s not entirely human, she’s not completely well informed on what’s inhabiting her body and it’s bothers her to no degree that she has no control over it. She fears that it could one day take full control and leave everything that she is the in the dark.
SKILLS: Sister Angel has a general knowledge of the paranormal and fantastical, focusing more on European and American myths. Her main knowledge lies in lycanthropy and it’s various incarnations such as skinwalkers and shifters. While many of her bureau companions speak a great deal of languages, Angel has always had trouble with them. She speaks a little bit of Spanish, enough to get around town if lost. As a nun, learning Latin was apart of her daily regiment and can speak (Though not very well) as well as write and read it. A servant of God and people, one might not consider it a skill but it has become a valued asset of her being. Angeleanna has been trained in basic unarmed self-defense, something she uses only to defend and never to attack. Trained in classical fencing since the age of 19, she has become quite adapted with a sword and to watch use one is like taking a step back to the Renaissance age. She has briefly trained with Eskrima sticks for several months but found the feel of a blade more comfortable.
STRENGTHS: Her faith is unshakable, she is the steady rock to cling to when the storm hits. A benevolent individual, she is kind and compassionate and will never turn her back on anyone.
WEAKNESSES: Extremely right handed, she could never get the hang of switching hands when dueling and is extremely clumsy at doing so. She has never used a firearm and is not willing to start, her sword has served at her side for twenty years and has been faithful to it. Without a weapon in hand, be it a sword or a random object, Angel is almost at a loss at how to fight. It is that familiar weight in her hands that helps focus her attention, that she has a weapon and must be vigilant. With her strength, she tends to forgets just how mortal she is and has her blood spilt on numerous times to adjust that way of thinking.

THE STORY

HISTORY: It started with a simple Angel named Mykah. He was sent to earth by God to reclaim several messengers that had not returned from a mission. Waiting for the spirit was a legion of demons, owned by Beleth a demonic king of Hell. He had been ordered by a faceless master to murder the messengers before they could speak to their appointed individual. Mykah was caught in the crossfire, his wings torn from his body and made mortal he went mad at the lose of his Heavenly father and home. The now mortal angel, in a desperate move took his own life by stepping in front of a bus to return to the only world he knew as home. Miserably, he did not end up where he wanted to be.

The Heavens were infuriated by the vicious attack and Beleth rose up only to be dragged back to hell and stripped of his ranks as amendments to keep the peace between other worlds. Mykah’s soul was demanded to be returned but it was claimed none had any knowledge of where the soul had gone as it had not gone to him after the suicide.

Unbeknownst, Mykah had reborn as a young babe born in Lenox, Massachusetts a simple unassuming town to Emily and Adam Fairbanks, a young couple not quite ready for children. Angeleanna; as she was named after her grandmothers, was given up for adoption and handed over to the state foster care in Boston. Her caseworker Julie Grey juggled thirteen other cases and the baby was sadly shuffled further back into the files. Angel bounced around foster homes till the age of seven never quite fitting in with the families. On record the child had been difficult or distant, a monster or too sweet a child, it was every excuse under the sun that sent the little girl back. Angel herself suffered, like any child putting her full love into the new family of the month only to be ripped away to start the process all over again. She grew withdrawn and bratty, fighting constantly with anyone.

It was during her latest stay with a foster family that took care of four other foster kids when a fire broke out. The family later found out it was started by their eldest child smoking in the garage. The two story dwelling burnt to the ground with two children trapped inside, Angeleanna and her three year old foster brother David. Firefighters rushed into the building to rescue the youth, only to find them locked in the upstairs bathroom. The sleeping angel within stirred at the imminent threat to the frightened Angel and the innocent toddler and what can be described as sleepwalking, the actions of the older child was guided by another force. Angel had hauled her brother into the bathtub and filled it with water after she was unable to get down the stairs. Wrapping wet towels around the two of them she stuffed more under the door to keep the smoke from coming in.

When the firemen found the children, Angel was found standing in the middle of the bathroom staring idly at her reflection in the cracked mirror. When one of the men grabbed her, the child screamed and collapsed. The two were rushed to the hospital, David was released a couple days later with minor smoke inhalation while Angel remained with unexplained injuries to her upper back. Deep lacerations ran down the length in a nearly uniform lines along the shoulder blades (Scapula). The wounds were treated and though there was worry they would scar the child, physically and emotionally, Angel had no memory of the fire.

The aftermath split the foster family up after the accident, each child vanishing to another home and Angel was sent to the St Jerome Emiliani orphanage in New Salem under the care of Father Daniel Maxwell and Sister Helen. It was there the young child was given a different outlook on her life. Sister Helen helped her realize she was not some throwaway trash and that one day, someone would choose her as their very own daughter. Slowly the troubled youth ebbed away to reveal the bright little girl who became interested in the Catholic faith. Like the floodgates were opened, Angel became enmeshed in Mass and prayer and at the age of 9 she was baptized and received first communion. During the Easter Virgil two weeks later, she was confirmed by the last communion and fully accepted into the Catholic Church.

Angel was sent to an all girl’s Catholic school to bring the child up to a proper education level. She and two other orphans banded together and become good friends. They were known as the trinity squad by fellow students for there didn’t seem to be anything that would break them apart except the very inevitable that made them orphans. Guadalupe was the first to be adopted when the friends entered 5th grade, Sophie followed suit 3 months later but when it came time for the last, Angel purposely kept away when a couple was interested in adopting, not wanting to leave the beloved priest and Sister she had grown accustomed to.

In the interim, Beleth, the demon that hide away Mykah’s soul grew furious at his dethronement and without his legion became a slave to his nameless master that called him forth. The misplacement of the angelic soul had been done with purpose and commanded to be sealed in a specific mortal. Beleth sought the aide of earthly bound demons in the form of lycanthropes and sent them to destroy the child and release the soul. From there he would be able to become a demonic king once again once the matter was resolved. All the while, he was unaware of being played as a pawn in the slowly unraveling game of his master. The creatures managed to track the child down to the orphanage.

Angel has struggled to remain under the care of Father Maxwell and Sister Helen and with the foster system bogged down, the child was essentially pushed to the back burner and new candidates became few and far apart. Happy with that choice, Angeleanna spent her holidays at the orphanage and it was there the Lycans attacked. Tabloids had a field day with the horrible massacre, nicknaming it the Maxwell Massacre, ranging from gang shootings to suicide pacts of the clergy and all vied for an interview with the sole survivor, a 12 year old little girl.

Mykah’s soul had once again stirred, this time awakening to it’s full strength in defense of the innocent lives slain but the actions were too late and the angel was only able to protect Angeleanna.

Thrown into despair, the child was temporarily placed in a sanitarium for children for post traumatic stress disorder. She would have wild bouts of temper tantrums where she would literally destroy everything within grasp and scream to catatonic states where she refused to talk or eat. Angel spent 8 months at the sanitarium but through group and cognitive therapy she was able to regain a sense of normalcy though the substance of her problem still lingered. Mykah’s soul never went back to sleep and through the months he integrated his soul to hers, bonding her mortal self to a holy being and with it came her gifts of strength and healing. There was no one to fully talk to about the changes and thus Angel was forced to keep them to herself for fear of returning to the facility.

Angeleanna was taken in by another orphanage in Ashburnham, a larger town then she was used to but what had not changed was Angel’s faith in her God. Though it was stretched thinly the church was always there, a familiar place to run to. She didn’t mind the new orphanage or the new nuns, nor the chores or even being a new student. The new school was three times as big as her previous one and with it came its troubles. The school’s bully, an Amazon of a teenager and the temper to match often picked on the weaker ones of the flock and it was only a matter of time till it was Angel’s turn. Her brief time in the sanitarium wasn’t much of a secret and when the elder girl started in on the teen she took as much as could until the girl started in on Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. Angel threw her across the room.

Angeleanna entered the convent at the age of 16 after dropping out of Catholic school to take the initial period of testing (Postulancy) in an escape to the madness that circled her world. She desired to fall back on the comfort of her faith and shut out the world and as she struggled with her newfound gifts she was approached by Mother Superior Mary Joseph, Abbess of the Order of Divine Mercy and Grace. The Order was founded after the Fourth Crusade in 1226, a military order of monks and nuns in service of the Catholic Church to combat against the up rise of demonic and supernatural forces. The force has seen been thriving in secret for centuries reaching from Europe to America and the Maxwell Massacre had not gone unnoticed by the Order.

The Reverend Mother accepted Angeleanna into order though her full training wouldn’t begin until she was 18. Like a regular Order, Angel went on to continue her postulancy, received the habit (A varied version from a professed nun) and undertook the novitiate. At her 18th birthday, Angel was no longer a ward of the state of Massachusetts and her training began. With her temporary vows under her belt, she was schooled in the arts of the supernatural and the defense against them. She took her solemn vows at the age of 21 and received her full habit and weapon. Since then Angel has been able to reunite with her birth parents and reconcile with them. She visits them occasionally but mostly keeps in contact with them by mail through her Mother Superior to alleviate any suspicions of her other duties. Despite this, Angel retains the surname Maxwell in honor of those she loved and lost.

Though she often worked alone, Angel was habitually paired with a Brother Michael and Sister Sarah and several of their most successful missions was done together. With Angeleanna as the youngest she relied heavily upon their teachings to help her in the real world. Fighting against a imaginary foe on paper was one thing, actually doing so was another. Very much the greenhorn it took years the quell the urge to run in terror but never to ease the burden of taking up a sword against an enemy. It was this natural human weakness that made her the target of a occult and nearly a sacrifice to their nameless master. They spoke about releasing the Heavens and bestowing their master a messenger but it was the aide of the Order that came and that was the first and last time, the nun took a blade to a human.

Her missions sent her all over United States, once in Canada, and eventually she found herself in Newark, New Jersey on the trail of a demonic being that had surfaced in the news. It was then the BPRD was introduced to her and she accepted their invitation and stayed on as a liaison while keeping in contact with her Mother Superior.